Conventionally, various measurement devices and measurement methods have been developed for separating and identifying a predetermined material to be measured (hereinafter referred to as a target material) from a sample including a plurality of materials and analyzing the target material. For example, an immunoassay method is used for measuring a target material by dispensing to a sample a reagent including an antibody that selectively combines with the target material only, causing the target material included in the sample to combine with the antibody in the reagent, and quantitatively detecting a complex produced by the combination, utilizing a phenomenon such as chemiluminescence, fluorescence, absorption, scattering or the like. Specifically, such immunoassay methods include EIA (Enzyme Immunoassay), FIA (Fluorescence Immunoassay) and the like.
As a measurement device for performing such a measurement, a measurement device has been proposed in which a sample and a reagent are separately dispensed to a reaction container then the sample is reacted with the reagent within the reaction container to perform a measurement. Such a measurement device includes a conveyer line for conveying a plurality of reaction containers and performs various steps for reaction and measurement while conveying the plurality of reaction containers in the conveyer line at a predetermined convey speed.
Note that the reaction time required for reacting a sample with a reagent may depend on a combination of type and concentration (dilution) of the sample and the reagent. So, conventionally, a measurement device has also been proposed that can accommodate measurements with different reaction times. For example, an immunoanalytical device described in Patent Document 1 includes an inner reaction line and an outer reaction line placed in the same plane and can convey reaction containers in the inner reaction line and the outer reaction line at speeds different from each other.